Anti-Clock

Read two interesting books lately, as shown, the first exposing the sadistic, manipulative nature of L. Ron Hubbard, the founder or the cult/religion known as Scientology. Let's summarize it this way: The guy abused his wives and forced his followers to do such things as push peanuts around the wooden deck of his boat as punishment for insubordination. Of course this was under the guise of helping them to become "clear"- a Scientology term for psychologically healthy. Hardly the stuff of a genuinely loving, compassionate human being, spiritually speaking or otherwise. No doubt a few people were helped by his methods, for the path to peace of mind is as diverse as the mind itself, but let's not idolize this person, people. I read Hubbard's book years ago and recognized some truths in it, but so too do Islam and Christianity and other religions have elements of truth that can be beneficial...but not when they are corrupted by the same old failures of human nature.
The second book deals with the abject poverty in Africa that no amount of foreign aid will cure. Mr. Theroux travels from Capetown into Angola by car and bus and train, mingling among the native population, and gives an insightful, sobering assessment that Angelina and Bono have never experienced. After decades of war, Namibia and Angola for the moment are in comparative peace, but millions of people live in slums while the governments and complicit foreigners siphon off literally billions of dollars in oil revenues for their own corrupted pleasures. With so many unemployed young people watching this, it is only a matter of time before the place blows up again-and justifiably so. Yes, there are some good people trying to make positive changes, but the systemic breakdown in so many African cities and countries seems intractable....Both books offer information you likely won't find on the evening news, and both make you appreciate the controlled, civilized corruption and incompetence that forge the socioeconomic decisions in the U.S.A., where the majority of us remain fat enough so as not to conceive of rebelling.